Romantic Ideas for a Long Distance Relationship

Keeping the love alive in a long distance relationship can, at times, seem a challenge. When two people are separated by the miles in between, it is not possible to meet each other every day, and this lack of physical proximity may eventually create an emotional vacuum. The partners may drift away from each other and find both emotional and physical support in someone closer by.

However, long distance relationships have their own pleasures too. The time spent away from each other, in fact, can strengthen the bond between partners and bring about greater awareness of the value of the relationship they have. And of course, the intimacy shared after days and nights spent alone, is so much sweeter. Here are a few romantic ideas on keeping the spark alive and burning in a long distance relationship.

Go back in time and send a traditional love letter. Nothing is more romantic than declarations of love in a hand-written letter, on perfumed paper. Don’t forget to sign off with a personal touch like a lipstick impression. Your partner will appreciate the thought and effort that went into writing such a letter and will feel really special.

Make use of technology, to be in touch. One of the biggest pitfalls of a long distance relationship, is that, over time, you begin to feel left out of your partner’s daily life. But fortunately, modern technology now provides a wide range of opportunities to be in constant touch even when geographically separated. Use e-mails and phone calls to ask about your partner’s day, what the menu is for dinner tonight, or what his or her plans are for the weekend. Questions which may seem mundane to outsiders, actually work to create a cozy atmosphere and help partners to feel connected. Download internet phone services like Skype and speak to your lover as much as you want, without running up exorbitant phone bills. Use web cams and professional web-conferencing software. For this, you can get a high-speed internet connection at a very low price, in most countries. For just $50 a month you can stream live video to and from anywhere in the world. Keep “dates” with each other. Being separated by distance does not mean that you stop interacting with each other. The very fact that you can see each other in real time, even though on camera, will go a long way in making you feel connected.

Watch a romantic movie at the same time. Since you are unable to go for a movie date together, decide to rent a favourite romantic movie on the same day and try to watch it around the same time, even though you are in different locations. This will give you a feeling of being connected and the two of you can discuss the movie later on phone, email, or when you meet in person.

Send romantic text messages. Text messages are short and sweet ways of letting your partner know that you are thinking of them. Choose messages that suit your style - whether famous romantic quotations or racy one-liners – and let your partner be pleasantly surprised. You could also make a game of it, lasting the whole day. For instance, when you wake up in the morning, send a text message with the first line from Elizabeth Barret Browning’s famous love poem, “How do I love thee, Let me count the ways” and then follow it up by text messaging at regular intervals, one reason at a time, why or how much you love your partner. This would depend on your partner’s persona. Some people can find such messages sent a few times a day, very charming. If your partner isn’t the romantic sort, it may not work.

Think of innovative ways to express your love. You could reach out to your partner across the miles, by dedicating to him or her, a favourite romantic song on a popular radio show. But just make sure that he or she has the radio tuned to the particular channel/station beforehand. You could also take out a “love advertisement” in the local newspaper to which your partner subscribes. The “ad” could express your love either in a dramatic or funny way – enough to catch your partner’s eye and warm his or her heart for the rest of the day.

Send cards at every opportunity, even 'no-reason' cards with some personalized poetry! Cards can be wonderful ways of expressing your love. Send both real and e-cards to your partner at every possible chance like Valentine’s Day, anniversaries of first dates, first kisses and similar days of romantic significance. Apart from these, send cards to let your partner know that you have been missing and thinking of them.

Be adventurous once in a while. If letters and cards have begun to seem too staid after a while, stir things up in your long distance relationship, by taking recourse to some bold ideas. For instance, use a digital camera to take some intimate pictures of yourself, scan and then email them to your loved one. Your partner will love the passionate streak and may even surprise you by taking the next flight to your town.

Plan to do something special when you meet. Discuss with your partner what you would do when you see each other. This may be as simple as cooking a meal together, or as adventurous as planning a hike in the mountains and spending a romantic night under the stars. Whatever it is, keep in mind the preferences of both partners, so that either of you doesn’t feel like sacrificing one’s own interests for the sake of the other. A good idea would be to keep an ongoing list, and updating it with the items that you want to do together, the next time you meet up.

So now you know that there are romantic ideas galore to spice up your long distance relationship. It only needs some creative thinking on your part, and an equally ardent heart on your lover’s, to get the relationship really rocking. After all, the basics of a long distance relationship are the same as any other – shared interests, common values and love and respect for your partner.